Ampoule.



F. R. ELDRED.

AMPOULE.

APPLIUATIoN FILED MAR.1a, 1911.

1,022,069. Patented Apr. 2, 1912 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lFRANK R. ELDRED, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ,ASSIGNOR T THE ELI LILLY & COMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

AMPOULE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Application filed March 13, 1911. Serial No. 614,241.

citizen .of the United States, residing at Incation to the eyes of new born infants as a preventive of oplithalmia neonatornm but the device is, of course, useful as a storage container from which may be delivered any i aqueous or similar liquid drop by drop.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.`

Figure 1 is an axial section of an ampoule constructed in accordance with my invention lying horizontally and Fig. 2 a similar section showing the ampoule in a vertical 'position, and about twice actual size.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the main body of the ampoule and 2-2 indicate the tubu- I `lar normally sealed tips thereof. The ampoule is conveniently commercially formed of glass, the liquid being inserted through the open end of one of the tips and the tip then sealed. lThe hollow tips are made small enough in diameter to properly direct the flow of liquid and when either or both the tips are brokenor opened some of the liquid will remain in each tip as indicated at 3 in Fig. 2. If the tip be small enough in diameter to prevent continuous flow the surface tension of this seal will be great enough to prevent any material flow of the liquid from the main body of the ampoule. If the internal diameter of the tip is large enough to'so weaken the seal that, when the ampoule is up-ended, the pull on the main body of liquid is sufficient] to break the seal inthe uppermost tip, then the liquid will flowV suddenly from the ampoule in a continuousl stream and it is im ractical to prevent this continuous tlow. I on the other hand, the internal diameter of only one of the tips is increased enough to prevent the maintenance of a seal therein when the tip is opened, and an attempt is made to discharge the contents of the ampoule from the smaller tip, the ow will be continuous even from the smaller tip if the internal diameter of the tip is large enough to permit any flow at all. If any attempt be made to discharge the contents of the ampoule from the larger tip thenA therewill be a seal formed in the smaller tip which will prevent' How from the larger tip unless the larger tip have such a large internal diameter that flow can be established when the ampoule is only slightly tilted from a horizontal but in that case the flow from the ampoule would be continuous and uncontrollable. In order to avoid these various difficulties, therefore, I form each tip of the ampoule with an internal diameter large enough to make impossible the maintenance of a liquid seal therein having sufficient strength to interfere with free iow from the main body and I mount Within the main body a check valve 4 which may con-- veniently be a loose glass bead having a di- -ameter exceeding the internal diameter of either tip. The bead 4, while generally spherical in form, need not be accurately formed but is adapted to seat loosely at the junction between the main body of the am- 'poule and either of the tubular tips. This loose or inexact seating allows the slow passage of the liquid past the check valve.

The operation is as follows: The completed article with its liquid content is, of course, sealed against contamination and against discharge of the liquid and may be carried for an indefinite period. When needed, the physician will rupture the two tips and will turn one of the broken tips downwardly; thereupomthe valve will seat itself loosely at the upper end of the broken i tip. Flow of the liquid will begin, this flow taking place slowly past the loosely seated check valve but, after the liquidenters the lower tip it flows freely, gathers at the end of the tip, and drops drop-by-drop therefrom.

The internal diameters of the ti s should be sutliciently small to prevent out ow when the tips are opened so long as the ampoule is held horizontally. By this arrangement the physician has ample time to properly apply the entire contents of the ampoule, the dispharge being at all times under full contro I claim as my invention:

1. An ampoule for medicaments compristo avoid the formation of a liquid seal therein, a check valve arranged within saidr main body and adapted to seat loosely at the inner end of one of said tubular extensions, and a liquid contained Within said main body.

2. An ampoule vfor medicaments comprising a main hollow body having a pair of tubular extensions, the internal diameter of said tubular extensions being large enough to avoidl the formation of a liquid seal'therein, a check valve arranged loosely within said main body and adapted to seat loosely at the inner end of either of said tubular ex- 15 tensions, and a liquid contained Within said main body. l

f In witness whereof, I, have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 10th day of March, A. D. one thousand 20 ninehundred and eleven.

FBANK R. ELDRED. [11. 8.] 

